Nice Carnival

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Carnaval 2023
@BastianHuber _ OTMNCA

History of Nice Carnival ✨

It was in 1294 that “the joyous days of Carnival” were first mentioned by Charles d’Anjou, Count of Provence.

In 1873, Nice resident Andriot Saëtone set up the “Comité des fêtes” to organise Carnival and attract wealthy winter visitors to Nice. The 1st Carnival entered the city in February 1873.

Until 1971, the event became spectacular, drawing on contemporary events, the grotesque and the fabulous. The creative work carried out on the floats combined modernity and tradition, a fact that was to be underlined by the UNESCO designation of tangible intangible heritage.

It was in the 19th century that the Carnival came into its own as we know it today. Nice became the “capital of the winter resort”.

Bataille des fleurs
@OTM

Flower parades 💐

Created in 1876, the Flower parade was originally a simple exchange of flowers to entertain tourists! Over the years, it has become the elegant parade of the Nice Carnival and a showcase for local produce.

Roses, mimosa, carnations, gladioli… 80% of the flowers used are produced locally. More than 4,000 stems of fresh flowers are needed to create each float, carefully hand-decorated by the florists of Nice.

Did you know? The unique costumes are created in a temporary workshop dedicated to Carnival by costume designers from the world of show business, who juggle original fabrics and materials.

Nice Carnival is characterised in part by its huge floats (up to 17m high and 12m long) and its humorous big heads, created by the Carnavaliers niçois. These behind-the-scenes craftsmen and artists, with their unique skills, work for much of the year on a theme imposed by the municipality. Their skills are often handed down from generation to generation, and involve several different trades.